Rope-clamp.



` concave, as at 18, so as tot the rope and UNITED sTATEs `PATENT. oEEIoE. i'

'MATTHEW FRED SMITH, 0E sIeEL, PENNSYLVANIA. Ro'PE- cLAMP.

To all whom' it may concern: Be it known that I, MATTHEW FRED SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sigel, in the county of Jefferson andState of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rope-Clamps, of which the i 'following is a specification.

This invention is a clamp for attachinga temper-screw to a wire ro e for drilling oil, gas, or water wells or for ot er purposes, and more-particularly a clamp characterized by a pair vof sliding wedgeswhch automatically grip the' rope tighteras thepull thereon increases. j

The object of the invention is to rovide a clamp which can be easily attache adjusted, or removed and which will not kink or injure the rope.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention, partly in section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fi 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 o Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fi 4 is a erspe'ctive view of one of the `Wedges crei-na ter referredto. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the key hereinafter referred to. I

Referring specificallyl to the drawings, `5 and 6 respectively indicate two blocks which are held' in place on opposite Vsides of the rope 7 by a clamp 8 -of the usual C form, through whichis threaded a hand-screw 9, which bears on the block 6,whereby both blocks are pressed together toward the rope.

The clamp is also fastened to the block 5 by acap-bolt-l() or other suitable means. The upper ends of the blocks-are formed with eyes 11 to receive the links 12, whereby the clamp is connected to the swivel-head of the tem- 4o pler-screw. The eyes are made open and tted with a removable covering-plate 13, so that the links can be readily inserted or removed.

On the inner faces of the blocks 5 and 6 are cut channels or grooves 14, which are deep at the top and tapering to a less de th at the bottom. Near the top of the bloc s slots 15 are cut from the bottom of the grooves outi wardly to each side of the blocks, the direcing bottom faces of tA e grooves 14. In t ese slots are placed compression-springs 16, for a urpose to be hereinafter described.

Into the grooves 14 are fitted taperin wedges 17, the inner faces of which are made ySpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Merch 1906. Serial No. 808,912.

, jects tion of the slots bein the same as the ta 'er- Patented Jan. 1', 1907.

bear evenly thereon. Across the outer or inf clined faces of the wed es, near their up erl ends, is cut a notch 19, aving dovetailedpor undercut side walls. A key 20 is fitted in this notch loosely enough so that it can be readil slip ed in Land' out. This key room t e vsides of the wedge for a s ort distance, and the corners of the dovetail are cut od from the projecting ends, so that its section becomes approximately rectangular. When. the wedges are in position in the grooves 14, the projecting ends ofthe key 2.0

extend into the slot 15 and bear on the spring` 16. .As these are compression-s rings, they serve to force the wedges upwar ly. sides of the blocks 5 and 6, directly over the slots 15, are recesses to receive plates 21 to cover said slots. The plates Iit in the recesses and extend flush with the outer surface of'the blocks.

- The o eration of the clamp is as follows: The bloc s, with their attachment, includin the clamp 8, are placed againstV the rope, an

the hand-screw 9 is tightened until the faces 18 of the wedges bear on the rope. When a downward strainis/putupon the yrope by the weight ofthe drilling-too s or otherwise, the wed es will be drawn downwardly and inwar ly to grip the rope, and the greater the In the x strainv on the rope the tighter will the wedges grip it. When the. strain is released, theV sprin s 16 push the wedges upwardly and free t em from the rope.

I claim-- 1. A clamp comprising a pair of o positely-disposed blocks having longitu 'nal grooves in their inner. faces, and transverse slots extending from said grooves, springs in the slots, and sliding wedges in the grooves, said wed'ges having projections extending into the slots and bearing on the springs.

2. A clamp comprising va pair of o positely-disposed blocks having longitu 'nal grooves on their inner faces, and transverse slots extending from said groovesfsprings in the slots, sliding wedges in the grooves, and transverse keys carried by the wedges and extending from opposite sides thereof into the slots, and bearing on the springs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two. subscribingr witnesses.

MTTHEW FRED SMITH.

Witnesses: JAMES M. BUZARD, JOHN E. HEPLER. 

